A member of the public shared their experience with a car dealer that allegedly tried to cheat them of S$1,500 for repairs, shedding light on an ongoing practice that others fell victim to.
“How buying our first car turned into our biggest nightmare,” wrote Facebook user Nishit Dilip Shah in a lengthy post on April 19, describing their experience with second-hand dealer SG Auto Pte Ltd in Tampines.
Mr Nishit said that he bought a second-hand car from the dealer on March 13, paying S$86,500 for a 10-year-old Mercedes-Benz C180 Kompressor.
“We were told by Alvin (the main car salesman) that the car’s ECU (Electronic Control Unit) had just been replaced. The car looked to be in good condition, so we decided to purchase the car,” said Mr Nishit.
They collected the vehicle on March 20, unaware of the nightmare that would befall him and his wife.
“In our sale agreement, we were entitled to a one-year warranty on the engine and gearbox of the car. We understood that to mean that any issues arising out of parts found in the engine and gearbox would be covered,” he said.
As they were driving home that day, the ‘check engine’ light turned on.
They were told the following day that there could be a sensor or timing chain issue. Three days later, Alvin called the couple to inform them that the timing chain had to be replaced.
“He (Alvin) said that the timing chain was not part of the engine and it was thus not covered by the warranty,” said Mr Nishit, who also noted that a quick Google search proved Alvin’s explanation untrue.
The couple paid Alvin S$300 in hopes of maintaining a good relationship with the dealer.
On March 25, Alvin called Mr Nishit to confirm the pickup date of March 30 at the latest.
On March 30, Alvin called again, asking Mr Nishit not to come to the shop as “they needed to test the car”, although “it was almost done.”
The following day, Alvin said that in the course of fixing the timing chain, the ECU began having problems.
This was the last straw for the couple, who decided to get their car fixed at another mechanic.
However, Alvin’s tone changed and said he would not release the car to the couple unless they signed a form releasing the company from all liability.
“We thought we were losing our minds. We have to sign papers to release SG Auto of liability just to get back OUR car, the car that we had fully paid for and was registered in our name?! Is this not extortion? We told him that if he does not give us our car back, we will call the police,” said Mr Nishit.
Alvin then offered them a replacement car free of charge, but this proposal also didn’t push through, leaving the couple with the same update that their car was getting fixed, albeit for a cost of S$1,500.
Furthermore, the owners had no idea where the mechanic was located, thus preventing them from coming over to get to the bottom of the situation.
“We filed a police report. Yes, a friggin police report. Never in my life did I think that the police would need to be involved in the purchase of a car. However, with SG Auto, anything is possible,” said Mr Nishit.
In an update on April 22, Mr Nishit said that the company management has reached out to them. They were compensated in full for their claim amount.
“They were unaware of the full extent of Alvin’s actions. We understand that SG Auto has terminated Alvin’s employment,” said Mr Nishit.
Responding to Mr Nishit’s encounter, netizens noted that they too experienced similar tactics by the same dealer as well as other companies. /TISG
